Mari de Villa: Getting Better All the Time

Mari de Villa guests always are on-the-go. With so many on-site amenities and transportation to some of the city’s best entertainment and recreational destinations, the retirement community allows its seniors to stay as active as they like. “Even after 53 years of offering all levels of care at this location in Town & Country, we are continually trying to evolve and enhance our offerings to meet guests’ needs,” president Fred Wiesehan says.

For guests who desire a day-long getaway, the 18-seat Villa Estates Private Bus whisks them away to Cardinals baseball games, Missouri Botanical Garden private tours, Peabody Opera House performances, Labadie Station dinners and Hermann winery visits, among others. Wiesehan says the day trips are a big hit. “They reminisce about attending different St. Louis attractions throughout their lives, and then they can go and share those activities again with their new neighbors.”

And for guests who prefer to remain in the comfort of the 25-acre Mari de Villa campus, activities are still at their fingertips. The Villa Estates Club offers elegant dining, daily live music, water aerobics, weekly exercise programs, card games and book reviews.

Now in the fourth year of a five-year construction plan, Wiesehan says new improvements at Mari de Villa continue to enhance guests’ living accommodations and amenities. The Villa Estates, the independent living arm of the retirement community, has 54 private residences ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet that are customized to each individual's or couple’s vision. “We currently have two large villas that each have two bedrooms being remodeled that will be available,” Wiesehan notes.

And for those with different care needs, Terraces at Mari de Villa recently opened for those guests diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and memory-care needs. From 24-hour nursing care to music therapy, games and dining, the entire area is geared toward these guests, Wiesehan says. “We truly wanted to make this a place where people would enjoy their life.”

Mari de Villa is committed to continual improvement, Wiesehan concludes. The senior-living community is finalizing plans for even more new assisted-living suites and amenities on the east lake shore of the campus, where Wiesehan and his wife, Mary Kay, also call home. “We continue to meet with architects and plan for future projects,” Wiesehan says. “It is truly an exciting time for Mari de Villa and St. Louis.”